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As she waits for the LPGA to start again, Haley Moore is having a hell of a rookie season as a pro
Haley Moore tees off the 14th hole during the first round of the 2020 ISPS Handa Vic Open.
Jack Thomas
The LPGA season restart can’t happen soon enough for Haley Moore, who is having one heck of a rookie year as a pro golfer even if she’s stuck on just one LPGA start.
The 21-year-old’s latest exploits came on the Cactus Tour in Scottsdale when she started the final round of the 54-hole event at Troon North trailing Alena Sharp by a shot, only to win the tournament by nine strokes. Moore shot a 10-under 62 while none of the 14 other competitors, including two-time major winner Anna Nordqvist, could break 70.
The victory marked Moore’s second straight win on the Cactus Tour (she took the title at Stallion Mountain a week earlier after shooting a final-round 64) and third victory since late March, shortly after the LPGA Tour halted play due to the coronavirus.
Moore has played in 12 tournaments during the LPGA’s break, 11 on the Cactus Tour. She has a loyalty to the circuit; she played in events while still in college at the University of Arizona, where she made NCAA title clinching putt for the Wildcats in 2018, that she said helped her prepare for last fall’s Q school, where she earned a card for 2020.
The LPGA is set to resume its season at the end of the month with two events in Ohio. It’s fairly clear that Moore will be considered among the favorites in both.